Exposure Notification System Only Applies to Smartphones, Limiting Its Application
Bluetooth SIG Expands ENS to Wearable Devices


Smartphone-based exposure notification systems, such as emergency disaster text messages, are expected to expand to wearable devices.

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which oversees the development of Bluetooth, the international standard for short-range wireless communication, announced on the 19th that it is developing a standard that can apply the existing smartphone-based Exposure Notification System (ENS) to wearable devices.

By applying the exposure notification system to wearable devices such as wristbands, it is expected to be of great help to children and the elderly who are not familiar with using smartphones.

Typically, all public exposure notification systems sent out by government health authorities use Bluetooth technology built into smartphones to notify people nearby when they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

In today's era of widespread smartphone use, public exposure notification systems, such as emergency disaster text messages, have served as the optimal means of notification to protect the safety of the majority. However, they have limitations in that they are difficult to apply to those with limited smartphone use.

More than 130 Bluetooth member companies have recognized the need to expand the reception range of this exposure notification system and have formed the Bluetooth SIG Exposure Notification Working Group.(ENWG) joined.

Member companies are currently defining standards to enable wearable devices to support exposure notification systems while maintaining privacy and security standards.

An early version of the specification is expected to be released within the next few months.